


Lies, Lust and Godmaking

by Spunky0ne



Category: Bleach
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-03
Updated: 2019-02-03
Packaged: 2019-10-21 22:00:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17650673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spunky0ne/pseuds/Spunky0ne
Summary: He’s the most wicked shinigami, and the ones who have imprisoned him can’t begin to know his complexity, but as keeper of the Seireitei’s histories, Byakuya is determined to understand him.





	1. How Do We Go On

Byakuya knelt silently at the low table in his study, focusing steadfastly on the book in front of him and trying to ignore the chatter and giggles of his sister and new brother-in-law, who were understandably caught up in the giddiness of their new union and chased each other endlessly around the tranquil gardens in a game that was probably more suited to the low Rukongai, where both had grown up, than the lush, tranquil environs of the famed Kuchiki Manor gardens. He knew well that it would be considered inappropriate by the strict noble standards, but given the recent darkness of the quincy conflict and the affection he felt for both his adoptive sister and his fiery, red-haired lieutenant, he couldn’t bring himself to disturb their bout of wedded playfulness.

_As I recall, Hisana and I had our wild, giddy moments too, and lest we forget, she was of the low Rukongai, so I was definitely defying clan law by courting and marrying her._

He tried to direct his eyes to the next few lines in his book, but found himself unable to concentrate as a familiar male voice rang out in the gardens and another of Rukia’s friends arrived.

“Hey guys!” Ichigo called out, “What’s going on?”

_Ichigo Kuroskai…or rather, Ichigo Shiba._

Byakuya sighed and closed his eyes, suffering the onset of a headache as he thought about that piece of revealed information.

_It was a shock to everyone that, all of this time, Isshin Shiba was alive and well, posing as a living world doctor and raising children with a quincy woman he gave up his powers to save. Such recklessness…_

_And it seems that his offspring is no less prone to trouble, although…Ichigo has shown a deep protectiveness for the people he cares about._

“Have you seen Tetsuya around?” Ichigo asked.

Byakuya flinched.

“He’s checking in with the guard posts right now, but he’ll be back soon for breakfast,” Rukia answered, smirking at the newly named Shiba heir, “I don’t suppose you want to join us for breakfast.”

Byakuya’s graceful fingers rose and worked for a moment at his temples as the ache in his head grew stronger.

_The man has the choice of every lovely noble woman in the Seireitei, but he can’t help but set his sights on my cousin. I understand, of course. As beautiful as they are, none of those women they have offered Ichigo could tempt him the way my shy, half-wild, breeder male cousin has managed to do. But Tetsuya is so gentle hearted. I can’t stand the thought of Ichigo breaking Tetsuya’s heart. I can’t stand the thought of anyone hurting Tetsuya._

Byakuya sighed, running his hands over his face. He set the book aside, resigned to the fact that no more reading was likely to get done.

“Byakuya?” a quiet male voice intoned, making him turn his head to look in the direction of the inner door of his study, where the cousin he had been thinking about had appeared, “I’ve checked in with all of the house guards. All is well.”

“Yes, that is good, Tetsuya.”

Byakuya’s dark, brooding eyes looked out, into the gardens, where Ichigo, Renji and Rukia were happily laughing and talking.

“It seems that you have a guest.”

He watched Tetsuya’s reaction as the younger man’s eyes looked out, into the gardens, and he caught sight of the Shiba heir. His heart sank a little at the way Tetsuya’s pretty sapphire eyes lit and the little flush that came instantly to his cheeks.

_Not that I don’t wish for my cousin’s happiness, of course, but Tetsuya didn’t grow up in a normal family. When he was just a baby, his family was abducted and held in one of the illegal noble’s prisons for the crime of his noble father having transgressed by lowering himself to marry a commoner. Tetsuya was a teen by the time that my forces raided the prison and freed the prisoners. He had never lived in anything but a cold, dank cell, and had to learn how to live in a noble home. I’m so grateful to my cousin, Sadao and his wife for making Tetsuya part of their family and helping him learn to thrive in this very different life._

_Still, something of that shy, feral boy still lives in Tetsuya, and I think this is what has lured Ichigo._

“Do you disapprove?” Tetsuya asked calmly, “I could…”

“I do not disapprove,” Byakuya assured him, “I just hope that Ichigo appreciates the true gift of your friendship and affections.”

Tetsuya’s cheeks flamed brightly.

“B-but Ichigo hasn’t been inappropriate at all,” he insisted, “I assure you, we are behaving properly.”

“That must be very difficult for Ichigo,” Byakuya chuckled, “Go on, Tetsuya. Ichigo Shiba is an impatient man who does not like to be kept waiting.”

He sighed more softly as Tetsuya stepped out of his room and was immediately met by the enthusiastic Shiba heir.

_Be happy, Cousin._

_It is well deserved._

Byakuya glanced at his abandoned book, but he found himself less than enthusiastic about continuing his reading. Instead, he left his study and headed out, along the wooden walkway, to a locked set of doors that only he and people given his permission token were allowed to pass through. Stepping inside, he closed the door behind him and he felt all of his annoyance fade.

In front of him, the small entry opened into an immense chamber that, of course, could never fit into the space it was accorded on the outside.

_The Kuchiki family is guardian to the histories of the Seireitei and noble clans. This sacred place is home to a treasure trove of information and artifacts, some of which go back to the earliest days of the noble clans._

He moved forward to a reading table that held on the shelf above it, the complete diaries of all of the Kuchiki leaders, as well as that of the very first Kuchiki, who was made in the king’s gardens, by his own hand. He felt a twinge of sadness as he pulled out the surprisingly well preserved tome and opened to a picture of Hajime Kuchiki, smiling as he was held gently in his beloved king’s embrace.

_The first incarnation of king and consort, Reio and Hajime were visionary leaders. But even for the immortals, there is the need to be reincarnated. And when the time came for them to undergo the ritual, something went horribly wrong. Records speak of how the king’s prism shattered when it was placed in the spring in the king’s gardens._

_It was a fake, and no one knew where the true prism had been taken._

_It was never found._

_The next soul king was a regent, and he was killed in the first conflict with the quincies. The invading quincy king was badly injured, and was captured and imprisoned in the crystal palace that was really little more than a prison. The true king’s lands disappeared under a seal, and will not return until the king returns._

_Should he ever return…_

Byakuya’s ever present frown deepened as he thought about the more recent conflict.

_The king slain by Ywach was little more than a figurehead. He provided us with visions and information, and we saw to his comfort, even though he was our prisoner. The noble leaders decided, as they did in the last conflict, that seeking the king’s prism wasn’t necessary, given the amount of reiatsu that leaks slowly out of Ywach’s dead corpse. They don’t desire a strong king. They have grown to used to running the Seireitei and managing the three worlds as they see fit. It is not in their nature to give up power…and…if no one seeks the return of the king, then the rightful monarch will never emerge._

He felt a little chill inside as that line of thought made him also think of the traitor that had tried to steal the throne.

_Sosuke Aizen._

_Such a treacherous man, who tried to invade the heavens._

Byakuya glanced at the corner of the reading table, where he had been gathering resources to try to trace the enigmatic shinigami’s history.

_Before the war broke out, I was trying to gather what information there was on Aizen. He is incarcerated with a sentence longer than several of my lifetimes, but the man does pique my curiosity. And in the wake of the war, there is certainly more time for me to delve into that, if I wish to do it._

_For some reason, that man…has always nagged at me. No one knows where he was born or to whom. He carefully covered all traces of that. He had to be sure that no one would suspect that the gentle-eyed leader of the fifth division, the accomplished scholar and mentor, was hiding a wicked, backstabbing traitor beneath that lovely surface. He was a devilish man with equally devilish aims. Still…while I don’t understand why he did what he did, I do wonder._

_Did he know?_

_Is it that Sosuke Aizen learned of the lie in the heavens, and he couldn’t tolerate that lie? I heard that Ywach spoke of the same thing. Others were confused by the reference, because of course, only Squad Zero and Central 46 know that the king Ywach killed was the old quincy king from a thousand years ago. Even less people know that even the regent that Ywach’s father killed was not a true king, but a stand in. Most have purposely forgotten that there was a true king and consort. They do not desire the king’s return, and they would go to some trouble to prevent it._

_And the king’s prism is lost anyway._

He sat down at the reading table and pulled over the pile of references he had gathered. Letting out a long breath, he relaxed and began to peruse the books, one by one. But as the pages turned and he read more and more, he was stymied by the lack of information.

_As an accomplished illusionist, Aizen hid himself well._

_Still, our family has a long history of tracking down seemingly lost information. So, as the end of the war and the coming of peace have granted me the time, I will devote myself to learning all I can about him. It would be a stain upon my family’s honor not to be able to put down more information than this about the man who caused to much disruption._

_Perhaps speaking to him would help._

_After all, given that he is imprisoned in Muken, there is little reason for him to withhold information. He is going nowhere. As a matter of fact, he is in danger of being forgotten. I wonder if that will loosen his tongue._

Byakuya worked quietly for another hour, then he left the archive to sit down to breakfast with his sister, brother-in-law, cousin, and Ichigo. He let the younger ones dominate the conversation, while he inwardly planned what he would say to the prisoner.

_You are in danger of becoming irrelevant._

_It is my task to record this information, and as you do not seem pressed for time, I suppose you can cooperate._

He took his leave of the others as soon as he was finished, and walked back to his room, where his attendant started to dress him in his Gotei uniform.

“Torio,” Byakuya said, stopping him, “I have an appointment this morning. I will require something more casual, but still…appropriate.”

His attendant provided him with a lovely rich red kimono, decorated with a colorful spray of flowers on the back. He waited patiently as Torio combed his hair to silken shine, then he left the manor and headed in the direction of the first division. He stopped, along the way, to pick up a hot meal of chicken teriyaki, rice and vegetables, then he continued on his way. He entered the first division and signed in, then waited for a moment as permission was sought for him to enter the prison. To his surprise, Shunsui appeared, himself, to answer Byakuya’s request for entry.

“Byakuya, good to see you,” the captain commander greeted him, “and congratulations on Rukia and Renji’s marriage.”

“Arigato,” Byakuya answered, “but you know that you did not need to come to speak to me personally for this. I am sure that the captain commander has much more important things to do.”

“Oh, of course,” Shusui snickered, “but, I was curious why you were wanting to see him. You seemed a little put out that I brought him out during the war.”

“I understand it was a necessary evil,” Byakuya assured him.

“Exactly. I think we’re all glad that he’s back behind bars, where he belongs.”

“Hmm,” Byakuya sighed, “yes, I suppose…although, I do hope you had manners enough to offer the man something in return for his assistance in giving Ichigo a shot at killing Ywach. You do know that without his intercession and that of the quincy, Uryu Ishida, Ichigo would have been killed.”

“Yes, yes, of course,” Shunsui said, nodding, “We can’t change the fact that he requires those bindings and such, but he is allowed visitors now.”

“And has anyone come to see him?”

“Heh, no actually,” Shunsui admitted, “just you. I guess that’s what made me curious. You’re dressed like you’re going on a date.”

“My attire is appropriate for an informal interview with a prisoner,” Byakuya said, matter-of-factly.

“Right, I just meant that you look like a man with a mission, and do I smell Aizen’s favorite dish? Did you perhaps stop by his old favorite restaurant?”

“So, I did,” Byakuya answered unabashedly, “I intend to do my duty as the lead historian in the Seireitei and find out as much as can be known about that man. As our leader, you should appreciate the importance of such knowledge, both in historical terms and also in the interest of understanding what drove him to commit such horrible crimes.”

“Oh, I get it,” the captain commander said bracingly, “I think I just need to warn you that there are those who won’t be happy you’re poking around in that muck, you know?”

Byakuya nodded.

“And as leader of one of the great clans, I am prepared for such objection.”

“Hmm,” Shunsui sighed, his face taking on a more serious look, “Maybe for the official objections, but be careful. There are also those who have morals that are not much better than Aizen’s.”

“I am aware,” Byakuya assured him, “I will be cautious.”

“Good, go on then,” Shunsui said, handing the noble leader a pass for prison entry, “Let me know if he tells you anything I need to be aware of.”

“I will.”

Byakuya headed to the lift and showed his pass to board, then he rode down to the lowest level and passed another checkpoint. A guard read his pass, and led him to the door to Aizen’s cell, handing him three keys.

“Be careful, Captain Kuchiki,” the guard warned him, “He’s been pretty vicious lately.”

“Hmm.”

Byakuya walked into the cell and paused, looking ahead of him to the heavily bound figure that sat on a white chair in the cell. He took a steadying breath, but was silenced as Aizen used his reiatsu to speak.

“Well, this is interesting. I smell sakura, fine clothing and…is it the chicken teriyaki from my favorite restaurant? To what do I owe this unusual treat, Byakuya Kuchiki?”

Byakuya quietly employed the keys he had been given to unbind Aizen’s head, upper torso and right arm. He moved a small table, placing it in front of his former comrade, and he laid out the food, then sat down on the other side. Aizen’s eye studied him appreciatively, and his lips curved upward.

“Why are you here?” he asked more directly.

“I am here,” Byakuya answered calmly, “for information.”

“About what?”

Byakuya took a steadying breath.

“About you.”


	2. What Swims Beneath the Surface

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byakuya begins to learn Aizen's secrets.

“You want to know about me?” Aizen asked, savoring a bite of the food that the noble had brought and taking a swallow of kido heated sake, “What is it that you want to know?”

Byakuya couldn’t help but notice the little sigh that escaped the prisoner as the warmth of the food and drink began to soothe his icy core. Aizen’s eyes, too, reflected a flicker of gratitude for the escape from the loneliness and cold of the cell.

_Rukia told me that she had learned from Ichigo that during their battle, Ichigo had sensed the heart of Aizen’s zanpakuto, and that he learned that what afflicted Aizen even then…was isolation. Ichigo suspected that it was Aizen’s unusual abilities which set him apart from his peers that caused this loneliness. I judged it a reasonable summation at the time, but…could there be more to it than that?_

“As you know, the Kuchiki family is the guardian bloodline of the Seireitei’s histories. As such, we were gifted with access to an archive that sits within a pocket dimension, so that even though I enter from the Seireitei, the archive, itself…”

“It actually rests in the royal realm,” Aizen finished, his eyes widening with curiosity, “I have, of course, always been curious about it. I understand that only the Kuchiki leader and his permitted guests can enter that place.”

“That is true,” Byakuya affirmed, “and what I will reveal to you…is that I am not limited to entering merely from my home.”

Aizen’s eyes widened even more and a little breath of surprise escaped him.

“Oh…is that so? And…you are telling me this because…?” he wondered aloud.

“I am telling you this because what we have to exchange in the way of words may be something that we do not wish heard by others. As you know, in this cell, we can be monitored.”

“And you have that to say to me, or to ask me, that you don’t wish for anyone to hear. How very curious!”

“The Kuchiki family prides itself on maintaining the history of the Seireitei…the full and unadulterated history, although, that sometimes involves that which some members of our elite do not wish to see revealed.”

“Of course,” Aizen mused, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, “So, you are, in essence, putting yourself at risk to secure and record this information?”

Byakuya paused, his little frown deepening slightly at what he read in the other man’s expression.

“Is that concern I see in your eyes?” he asked, “I know very well that you were planning to come back to Hueco Mundo after securing your victory for long enough to destroy the ones of us who you trapped there. You don’t really care if I live or die, so…why the change in your expression?”

Aizen’s smile warmed.

“Well, for whatever time you are with me, hoping to coax out all of my secrets, you bring with you certain comforts that I certainly do not enjoy here usually,” the prisoner answered.

“I see. And you wish for certain comforts for the duration of our interactions.”

“Oh, I wish for the comforts not to end. I know that you and everyone else in the Seireitei probably couldn’t care less how miserable my existence is here, and there are plenty who hope I am in horrible pain and tormented to the ends of my sanity.”

“And don’t you feel that it is exactly what you deserve?” Byakuya asked pointedly, “Recall, if you will, that I had family on the council of sages and judges who you savagely murdered with your own hands. And not only did you murder them, you did so using your illusions, so that most of them did not know who or what was slaughtering them.”

Aizen’s lips twitched very slightly.

“ _Most of them_ , you say?”

Byakuya looked deeply into the other man’s dark, depthless eyes.

“That is exactly what I said.”

“I see,” Aizen said in an enraptured tone, “That is a very perceptive statement, Byakuya, and a very provocative one. You truly do wish to tempt me, don’t you?”

Byakuya only looked back at him silently, his steel grey eyes quiet and determined.

Aizen took a sip of his sake, blinking slowly as he looked back at the Kuchiki leader.

“What is it you are proposing, Byakuya?”

Byakuya slipped a hand into a pocket in his kimono and removed a silver token on a chain. He touched the token with his fingertips and fed it with a touch of his reiatsu. As Aizen watched, the token glowed brightly for a moment, then the silvery glow faded.

“Ah, I see. This is a token of entry for your family’s archive?”

“Yes.”

“So, you wish for our interviews to take place there? How reckless of you. Do you even realize?”

His breath was taken away suddenly as the scene around him seemed to shift, and he found himself standing within the famed archive that he knew very well that few outside of the Kuchiki family had ever set foot in. Tall stacks of books rested in floor to ceiling shelves and in the open areas, glass cases held an array of preserved artifacts. Dark cherry wood tables with benches or chairs appeared here and there, and at the end of the great chamber was what appeared to be a living area.

“How is this possible?” Aizen asked, “Is this real, or are you doing something to only make me feel as though it is?”

“This is real,” Byakuya said, reaching out and touching his fingertips to Aizen’s arm, watching as the suddenly unbound prisoner reacted with a look of genuine shock, “Do I have your attention now? I will make this simple for you. I am determined to know everything there is to know about you, but I think you and I both know that there are those who either have knowledge of some of what you would tell me and they don’t want it revealed, or they fear what you might know, and they want to keep me from learning of it. Either way, we were never going to get through these interviews in that prison…and really, I did not want to sit in the cold, trying to get you to answer my questions. This archive gives me advantages that I do not have anywhere else. We are private here, so we are free to speak. It is a reflection of us here, so you cannot try to escape. And…if you attack me, you will immediately be returned to your cell. I have told the guards in Muken that I am going to be hypnotizing you, and that they should expect we will sit for hours without appearing to move.”

“So, we are…not really here?” Aizen asked.

“Oh, we are,” Byakuya corrected him, “but in a special form…a protected form. This will enable us to interact freely, and it will accord you some comfort as we interact.”

Byakuya motioned in the direction of the living area.

“I am sure that you probably desire a hot shower and a change of clothes before we begin?”

“That would be delightful,” Aizen replied, his body relaxing as he adjusted to his suddenly improved surroundings.

“You will find everything that you need in the living area,” Byakuya said, taking a place on the bench in front of his family’s clan leader diaries, “Feel free to sleep, if you so desire.”

“That is tempting,” Aizen chuckled, “but I am much more tempted right now by you, Byakuya. I am so intrigued. I am looking forward to seeing just what is truly beneath this very generous offer of yours.”

“It is exactly what I told you,” Byakuya said, reaching up to retrieve his own clan leader diary, “I am a historian who wishes to record the true facts of what happened that led to the Winter War, what took place during, and what happened in the aftermath. That…is the extent of my interest in you. So, understand that when my needs have been met, these meetings will end.”

“Duly noted,” Aizen answered, heading into the living area and leaving his former colleague working quietly at his desk.

He breathed in and out slowly, glad for the comfortably warm air and the pleasant scent of the archive. It was surprisingly lovely, too, to walk into a richly decorated bedroom and to be able to choose clothes that were clean and more comfortable than his own rags. He stepped into the closet and selected a handsome black yukata with gold braid trim. Heading into the bathroom, he slipped out of his torn clothing, pausing in front of the mirror to gaze quietly at his pale, thin and filthy body.

_The hogyoku heals damage to my body, but it cannot replace my clothing or remove the bad smell of infrequent bathing. Luckily, my powerful reiatsu keeps away the parasites, but it will still be a great relief to wash and to wear something clean._

He warmed the shower, recalling, as he did, his former interactions with the enigmatic Kuchiki leader.

_I recall that, as a boy, Byakuya was a child with a strong spirit and he could be temperamental, but there was another side of him, even then that was different. I often saw him lingering in the gardens, breathing slowly and enjoying the beauty and scent of the flowers. When he was a teen, he came to me for lessons in calligraphy. I thought, of course, that his family must be pressuring him, but Byakuya seemed to very much enjoy our lessons._

A lurid sigh escaped him as he stepped in, under the hot spray, and he closed his eyes, enjoying the enthralling sensation of the blazing water running down his neglected body, slowly washing away the grime and the little remnants of blood from long ago healed wounds. Adding luxuriant, sweet foaming soap took his experience to a nearly celestial level.

_Ah, Byakuya, you are an angel and a demon, aren’t you? So quiet and so calculated. You offer me these delights, knowing full well how much I will miss them. Still, I will not refuse any comfort from that wretched place. I will enjoy this time with you and see it to whatever end. Who knows? This may not end as either one of us thinks._

He took his time scrubbing his body all over and washing his hair several times. Turning off the water, he stepped out of the shower and dried off with a thick, warm towel. He wrapped the black yukata around himself, then walked back into the bedroom. He had no intention of indulging in sleep, but as he started to pass the soft, comfortable looking bed, it simply became too inviting, and he ended up taking Byakuya’s invitation to lie down. He was asleep almost instantly and slept for two hours before coming awake again. When he woke, he found hot tea waiting by the bed. He took his time, resting in the bed and sipping at his tea, then stretched and rose, and returned to the library, where Byakuya was returning a book to one of the shelves.

“Are you comfortable now?” the noble asked.

“Very,” Aizen answered quietly, “thank you. Where would you like to talk?”

“At the desk is fine,” Byakuya answered, turning back from the shelves.

The two sat down and Aizen loosed along sigh.

“Well, you have certainly made it worth my while to be cooperative.”

“I want the truth.”

Aizen eyed him curiously.

“You are willing to go quite far. Didn’t you say that some among the men I slaughtered in the Central 46 chamber were your relatives?” he asked.

“They were,” Byakuya affirmed, “That only makes the truth even more important. I would like to begin learning that truth now.”

Aizen smiled and nodded.

“Where would you like to begin?”

Byakuya opened his clan leader diary and turned back in the book until he found a scattering of pages he had marked. He turned the book to let Aizen examine them.

“These are entries that I made when I was a teen, and still heir, rather than leader, but as you can see, parts of the page are empty, as if I tried to fill them in, but the words simply disappeared. This is a sign that what I was placing in my diary was not what happened.”

“I see,” Aizen said, studying one of the pages, “What has this to do with me?”

“What this has to do with you,” Byakuya answered, “is that all of the entries with missing text occurs during my lessons with you. Furthermore, it is strange to me that I did not notice sooner that this was the case.”

“You want to know why your diary was affected? How would I know that?”

Byakuya’s dark eyes turned stormy.

“I do not need to know if you affected my diary. I know the answer. The fact that the words are missing is a reflection of the knowledge that what I tried to write down were _lies_! They were not my lies. I wrote down what I recalled, but…I was not recalling things as they happened…which means that…”

“You are going to ask me if I used my illusions to…?”

“Did you rape me, when I was a teen and I was coming to see you for lessons?” Byakuya asked pointedly.

Aizen gazed at him silently for a moment, then answered matter-of-factly.

“I was not controlling you and raping you,” he explained, “I was using you to try to get information from your family.”

“About what?” Byakuya demanded, “What information did you think I, the heir, would have, that you could not get from a less well protected target?”

Aizen gave him a sly smile.

“It never mattered what kind of protections anyone had. I _literally_ could have used anyone to find anything I wanted.”

“I think there might have been exceptions,” Byakuya suggested, “but let us leave that for now. What information were you seeking in these sessions where you were controlling my senses and pumping me for information? Did this have to do why you betrayed everyone and tried to overthrow the soul king?”

Aizen’s brown eyes narrowed in challenge.

“I think you, of all people, know why I wanted to overthrow the king.”

Byakuya sat back slightly in his chair, watching the other man intently.

“Leave that, for now, then,” Byakuya directed him, “Tell me where you were in your life when your fate turned you against the king.”

“The place where it all began,” Aizen said thoughtfully, “I think it goes back to my childhood.”

“Then, we shall start there,” Byakuya decided, “I know that _Sosuke Aizen_ is a name you made up for yourself, and that everything in our records about you is a lie. So, where and when were you born?”

“I was born in the middle south Rukongai, in a town called… _Kinubuge_.”

Byakuya frowned.

“Kinubuge?” he repeated, “Do you mean the town that was decimated by a firestorm years back?”

“A firestorm?” Aizen mused, “If you will. But if it was a firestorm, then it was not a natural occurrence. There was a secret hidden in that town, and the truth is that the town was destroyed, all so that a group of bounty hunters sent by Central 46 could make one person disappear.”

Byakuya’s head tilted and he arched a dark eyebrow.

“You, I presume?” he asked, “And why would the council want to find you? Who are you that the council would send bounty hunters to capture you, and then would burn the town to keep anyone from knowing it was you they wanted?”

“Indeed,” Aizen said, smiling cryptically, “I wondered the same thing, myself. And the answer wasn’t immediately easy to find. In fact, I still do not know who I am exactly, or why those men came and killed everyone else and took only me.”

Where did they take you, once you were captured?” asked the noble, looking down at his diary again.

“Realize that I was only a child, at the time. I had no zanpakuto and no powers. What I did have were dreams, and I was told by my mother that I had to sleep in the basement of our house at night, because during those dreams I gave off strange reiatsu vibrations. The basement must have had some kind of seal on it, but whatever I was radiating during the dreams, it must have been sensed, and Central 46 sent those men after me. They murdered my mother and took me, then they set fire to the town and burnt everything. They took me somewhere, not the Central 46 chamber, but to a noble’s prison.”

“A noble’s prison?” Byakuya mused, “Not Itamigiri?”

“No, I was not incarcerated there, although I heard about it, of course,” Aizen acknowledged, “This place was simply called _Shin’en_. The Abyss.”

Byakuya gave him a more darkly curious look.

“You have heard of it, then?” Aizen asked.

“I have. Do you have any proof that you were there?” Byakuya asked.

Aizen’s brown eyes blinked slowly.

“I do. As with your cousin, who was incarcerated at Itamigiri, I was marked with a brand, upon my arrival. I was subjected to a physical examination, an examination under anesthesia of my spirit centers and spirit core, as well as a blood and reiatsu test. The results were gathered, then I was restrained as the results were read, and a judge from Central 46 ordered the doctor in the room with us to euthanize me.”

Byakuya’s expression darkened further.

“Did he say why?”

“He said a name, and then he said _This ends it_ ,” Aizen reported.

“Show me the prison branding,” Byakuya demanded, “and…do so while I am in physical contact with you.”

Aizen smiled.

“Ah, you know that since my zanpakuto has not recovered, being in physical contact with me will protect you from my illusions?”

“Yes.”

“Fine then.”

Byakuya took hold of Aizen’s right arm, then he moved around behind the traitor as Aizen slid the yukata down off his shoulder to expose the naked flesh.

Byakuya frowned.

“I see nothing.”

“Keep looking.”

The noble’s gaze intensified, and as he watched, a dark pattern began to emerge.

“ _Shin’en_ ,” Byakuya read, “Noble house… _Shukisoku_ ”

Byakuya shook his head in dismay.

“But…that’s just not possible!” he mused, “There is no house by that name…not anywhere on the lists of the noble clans!”

“No,” Aizen agreed, “It’s not. And as hard as I have tried, I still do not know what that means. I wonder if, perhaps, this meeting with you is not a coincidence…but maybe is the will of the hogyoku finally finding the path to an answer to that question.”


End file.
